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Teach Them Jesus with Building Bricks

Gideon's 300: Humility

Judges 7:1-22; James 4:10; 2 Corinthians 4:7 Old Testament PrincipleHumility

At night, Gideon's 300 brick soldiers blow trumpets and hold up torches and broken jars around the enemy camp.

The Midianites had a huge army, like a swarm of locusts. God chose Gideon to save Israel. Gideon gathered 32,000 men. But God said, "You have too many! Israel might brag that they saved themselves." So God sent men home until only 300 were left. One night, God let Gideon sneak down to the enemy camp. He heard a soldier tell a dream. A loaf of barley bread rolled into the camp and knocked a tent flat! The soldier said it meant God would give Gideon the victory. Gideon worshiped God. With trumpets, jars and torches, the 300 shouted, and God made the enemy run. Humility means knowing God is great and giving Him the glory.

Humility means knowing that God is great and we depend on Him. We don't need to brag. God gets the glory for every good thing He does through us.

  1. CreationGod made it
  2. FallWe broke it
  3. RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
  4. RestorationJesus makes it new

Memory verse

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

James 4:10 BSB

Christ Connection · Need

God shrank Gideon's army so Israel couldn't say, "My own hand has saved me" (Judges 7:2). We need saving from sin even more, and we can't do it ourselves. Jesus did it all. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Like Gideon's men with light in clay jars, we carry the good news "in jars of clay," so the power is clearly God's (2 Corinthians 4:7).

1 Corinthians 1:27-29; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 2:8-9

The Big Story · Redemption

Ever since the garden, people have wanted to be great on their own. But we can't save ourselves from sin. God sent Jesus, who humbled Himself all the way to the cross, to save us. We are saved by grace, as a gift, so that no one can boast except in what God has done.

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Teacher guide plus handouts for preschool through 6th grade. Members can read the full lesson and download everything.

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Teacher Guide Preschool K–2nd 3rd–4th 5th–6th

Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade

The Midianites had a huge army. God chose Gideon to save Israel, and Gideon gathered 32,000 men. God said, "Too many! Israel might brag that they saved themselves." So God sent men home until only 300 were left. At night, Gideon heard an enemy soldier tell a dream about a loaf of bread knocking a tent flat. Then the 300 blew trumpets, smashed jars and held up torches, and God made the enemy run. Humility means knowing God is great and giving Him the glory.

Start here

Do "Too many bricks!" Pour out a big pile, then pick out three bricks. Ask, "If the tiny group won, who would get the credit?" Say, "Let's see what God did with Gideon's army."

Bible story 6 min

The Midianites were mean to Israel. They came with so many camels, no one could count them! They took Israel's food. God chose a man named Gideon to save His people.

Gideon called the men of Israel. 32,000 came! But God said, "You have too many men. Israel might brag and say, 'We saved ourselves!'"

So Gideon said, "If you are afraid, go home." 22,000 men left. 10,000 were still there.

The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.

Try an activity

Build jars and torches 10 min

You’ll need: A tub of building bricks, Baseplates, Minifigures or small brick people

  1. Pairs build a jar with a torch from the build guide, and a Midianite tent.
  2. Hide the torch inside the jar. Put the soldiers around the tent.
  3. On "Now!" take the top off the jars and shout, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" Knock the tent over.
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More lessons on Humility

The same principle in other Bible stories.

My Soul Magnifies the Lord: Mary Visits ElizabethLuke 1:39-56; 1 Samuel 2:1-10After the angel visited Mary, she hurried to the hill country to see her relative Elizabeth, who was going to have a baby in her old age. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby jumped for joy, and the Holy Spirit filled her. "Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" she said. Then Mary sang a song of praise – "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!" – because God had looked on her humble state and was keeping His promise to send a Savior. God lifts up the humble, and humble hearts praise Him.New TestamentHumilityJust Say the Word: The Centurion’s ServantLuke 7:1-10A Roman army officer in Capernaum had a servant who was very sick. The town leaders told Jesus, "This man is worthy of Your help." But the officer sent word, "I am not worthy for You to come to my house. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Jesus was amazed at his faith, and the servant was healed. When we come to Jesus humbly, we can trust His powerful word.New TestamentHumilityMake Way for Jesus: John the BaptistMark 1:1-8; John 1:19-34; John 3:26-30God sent John the Baptist to get people ready for Jesus. John lived in the wilderness, wore camel's hair and ate locusts and wild honey. Crowds came to hear him, and people turned from their sins and were baptized. Leaders asked, "Who are you? Are you the Christ?" John said, "No. I'm just a voice getting the way ready. I'm not even worthy to untie His sandals." When Jesus came, John pointed and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" Later he said, "He must increase; I must decrease." Humility means making much of Jesus, not of ourselves.New TestamentHumilityThe Writing on the WallDaniel 5:1-31King Belshazzar of Babylon threw a huge party. He drank from the gold cups taken from God's temple and praised idols. Suddenly, the fingers of a hand appeared and wrote on the wall! No one could read it, until old Daniel came. Daniel said, "You knew how God humbled King Nebuchadnezzar, but you did not humble yourself." The words meant God had ended the king's rule. That very night, Babylon fell. God is the true King, and He wants us to walk humbly with Him.Old TestamentHumilityKings and ProphetsNaaman Is Healed2 Kings 5:1-19Naaman, a proud army commander with a serious skin disease, was healed when he humbly obeyed God and washed seven times in the muddy Jordan River.Old TestamentHumilityKings and ProphetsGod Chooses David1 Samuel 16:1-13God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, and instead of the tall older brothers, God chose David, the youngest shepherd, because the LORD looks at the heart.Old TestamentHumility